Refugees on Gavdos: what travelers should know
- David Neumeyer
- Dec 14, 2025
- 5 min read
Gavdos, the small island south of Crete, is known for its remoteness and untouched nature. Unfortunately, Europe's southernmost island has been in the news more and more often recently. Increasing numbers of migrants are reaching Gavdos on boats from North Africa. How are people on Gavdos dealing with the situation and how is the new influx of refugees affecting your trip to Gavdos? First of all: even though the situation is a major challenge for locals and authorities, I would like to ease your worries as a traveler! In this blog article, you will find all the important information about the refugee situation on Gavdos and why a holiday on Gavdos is still completely safe and magical. The article will be updated regularly!
📖 Content
#1 Why Gavdos? The escape route and geographical location of the island
Gavdos, Europe's southernmost point, lies about 170 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, making it a strategic hub for refugee boats. The island is often used by smugglers as a ‘back door’ to Europe, as it lies outside the regular surveillance zones in the Mediterranean. Migrants usually set off from Tobruk or other Libyan ports and cross the open sea in overcrowded and often barely seaworthy boats. The crossing is said to cost up to 5,000 US dollars. Most migrants come from Sudan, which is currently the scene of an extremely violent civil war that is causing a humanitarian crisis and is currently receiving little media attention. Most of them are young men and teenagers who undertake the very dangerous and risky crossing to southern Greece.
The route is chosen because Gavdos lies outside the regular surveillance zones, which increases the chances of avoiding the coast guard. Most boats are intercepted south of Gavdos and escorted to the port of Karave on Gavdos or to southern Crete. Some boats also simply enter the harbour. Rarely, boats also land on Tripiti beach or other beaches on the island. On Gavdos itself, a small ‘reception centre’ has been set up at the harbour, where initial care is provided. There, the arrivals wait until the ferry to Crete arrives.
#2 Facts and figures about the current situation
In recent years, the number of refugee boats arriving on Gavdos and Crete has increased dramatically. While around 780 migrants were registered in the region in 2023, the number rose to over 4,700 in 2024. But the trend continued: by the summer of 2025, more than 7,300 refugees had reached Crete and the nearby island of Gavdos, and by the end of the year, according to official coast guard figures, this number had grown to over 17,600 arrivals. This means that the number has more than quadrupled within two years.
Several boats now reach the waters around Gavdos every week – often despite strong winds, high waves and adverse weather conditions. Most of the boats are intercepted off the coast. The influx hardly slows down even in the winter months. Many of these crossings are dangerous, and some end tragically: on 11 November, there was a serious incident in which several people lost their lives. Such accidents occur time and again, and the number of undocumented accidents and victims is likely to be considerably higher, as boats often travel off official routes or sink unnoticed.
#3 How the island is dealing with the situation
The arrival of migrants poses major challenges for the island community. Gavdos has no special infrastructure for refugees. As so often before, the island community has to take matters into its own hands. Some islanders, including the deputy mayor, the police officer and a small team from the coast guard, are providing initial assistance. All migrants are immediately gathered at the port of Gavdos and wait there for onward transport. They are supplying the new arrivals with water, food, warm clothing and meals. Initial assistance can be maintained thanks to financial aid from the government. Small teams with Frontex ships are now stationed on Gavdos. Coast guard boats are always on duty south or west of Gavdos and are sometimes involved in rescue and recovery operations several times a week. Overall, the situation has been well managed and coordination is running smoothly and efficiently, given the circumstances.
After arriving on the island, refugees are usually taken to Crete by conventional ferry. There is no contact with regular passengers. In Crete, the migrants are collected by the police and transported by bus to one of the reception centres. The conditions of accommodation in Crete are very poor.
Of course, the locals are concerned about the situation. A further increase in the flow of refugees could quickly push the island to its limits. Help is needed, but at the same time, no one wants a massive presence of authorities and personnel on the island, as this could destroy its charm. Everyone agrees that the arrival of boats on the small island must be stopped quickly.
#4 Is Gavdos still safe? What travelers need to know
I received an increasing number of messages from concerned lovers of the island who see their favourite place in danger. At the same time, the question of whether the island is still safe kept coming up. The clear answer is: yes! The year has shown that Gavdos remains very safe. As a traveller, you will hardly come into contact with the situation. Upon arrival, the refugees are immediately received and cared for at the port, and then quickly transported onwards. If you are on Gavdos, you will probably not notice much of this. All beaches, hiking trails, taverns and sights are open to you as usual. Especially now, it is important for the locals that lovers and visitors to the island are not deterred by the situation. Unfortunately, however, the figures show that the many negative and sometimes exaggerated media reports about the situation on Gavdos have led to fear and uncertainty among many holidaymakers. Locals on Gavdos report a decline in tourist numbers in 2025 of approximately 50% compared to the previous year. The operators of the accommodation and taverns agree that the many negative reports and the resulting uncertainty are the reason for this. I still remember very well a conversation with a hotel employee in Athens in autumn 2025, who was surprised by my planned trip to Gavdos. He was convinced that the entire island was covered with refugees. This makes it all the more important to me to dispel this impression of the island. A trip to Gavdos remains a dream come true and will fill your heart with joy.
Comments